All is well between Karnataka CM Bommai, BSY?

BENGALURU: While BJP has often highlighted the alleged disunity and rivalry between Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, a similar situation has now arisen in the saffron party unit in Karnataka. There is talk of differences between former chief minister B S Yediyurappa and his successor Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that Yediyurappa was not attending the inauguration of BJP bhavans in Koppal on Thursday as he had not received a formal invitation. National party president JP Nadda is taking part in the big-ticket event, where Bommai too will be present. As media houses picked up the story and went to town about it, several party members rushed to Yediyurappa and pleaded with him to take part. Later in the evening, the former chief minister’s office put out a note saying he is attending the function.

It is said that Yediyurappa skipped the Jan Sankalp Yatra in Kunigal and Tumakuru, though both leaders were expected to participate together. The other point of dissent reportedly came up when they went to Ahmedabad for the swearing-in ceremony of the Gujarat government. While Yediyurappa left a few days before Bommai, it was expected that the two leaders would return together. They did -- Yediyurappa arrived in an ordinary aircraft, while Bommai flew in by a special flight, though there were two free seats available on the special flight. Both flights landed almost together.

Sources said all is not well between the two leaders and these incidents are tiny indications of it. Yet, BJP leaders were quick to jump up and defend the bond between them. Responding to the standoff, party unit Vice-President B Y Vijayendra told TNIE that there were no differences between the two leaders.

BJP national general secretary CT Ravi claimed that Yediyurappa had participated with Bommai at Jan Sankalp Yatra functions across the state. “Yediyurappa has a national responsibility and cannot be everywhere. He is one of the top leaders of our party. Bommai himself called Yediyurappa while returning from Ahmedabad, but Yediyurappa said he would meet a few more people and talk to them, and would be delayed. So the CM came alone by special flight. Yediyurappa has repeatedly said his aim is to win 150+ seats for the party,” he said.

BJP spokesman Capt Ganesh Karnik too said the rift is imaginary, while the CM’s political secretary and Honnali MLA MP Renukacharya said he has no information on it.